Wednesday, June 23, 2010

On My Wishlist: The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

Ever since I devoured Marcello in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork, I have become more interested in reading everything that he has written. This desire happens to coincide with a really positive review that I read for his book The Last Summer of the Death Warriors. Here is a review that I found on amazon:

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up—Orphaned Pancho's 20-year-old mentally disabled sister is found dead in a New Mexico motel room. He meets D.Q., dying of a rare cancer, at a home for boys. D.Q.'s mother, Helen, forces him to undergo experimental chemotherapy, despite the gruesome side effects. Pancho cares for D.Q. during his stay at a Ronald McDonald-type residence. The one bright spot is Marisol, who works there. D.Q. knows that Pancho plans to find and destroy Rosa's killer. He tries to teach his new friend the way of the Death Warrior: only when you love do you truly live. Though Pancho plots the murder methodically, his plan is never believable. This derails the novel considerably and cancels any mystery that might have quickened the pace of the story. However, the New Mexico landscape is vivid and the author explores Anglo/Mexican relations subtly. Stork's characterizations are solid, from D.Q.'s probing intensity to Pancho's silent rage. Female characters are vivid as well, from Helen's passive aggression to Marisol, who displays a soulful intelligence. The narrative is dialogue heavy, but even philosophical conversations between steely Pancho and effusive D.Q. are natural, and often funny.—Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library

I don't know that I love this description of the book, but I so loved Marcello in the Real World that I can't help but think that this writer is probably a genius. Therefore, I am feeling the need to buy this book ASAP and test my theory.